The Boston Red Sox eventually settled on a fairly reliable bullpen this season, but it wasn’t long ago that they were frequently rotating pitchers in and out.
The 2023 season is one most Red Sox fans would rather put behind them, but those who closely followed every game might recall Joe Jacques — a 6-foot-4, 210-pound lefty reliever who appeared in 23 games and posted a 5.06 ERA that year.
Jacques has since bounced around to three teams, and at the end of the season, he was outrighted off the 40-man roster by the playoff-bound Seattle Mariners. That prompted the 30-year-old to leave the organization in search of better opportunities.
Jacques elects free agency
Joe Jacques elected free agency on Wednesday, per his official team roster page, after being designated for assignment on September 3. Unfortunately, he didn’t make a single major league appearance this season—neither for the Mariners nor the Dodgers, who traded for him in June.
Despite being postseason-eligible with Seattle, the team never gave him a shot in the majors, making it highly unlikely he would have been part of their playoff plans.
Back in Boston, Jacques served as useful depth during a forgettable 2023 campaign that ended with a 78-84 record. He posted a 2.54 ERA across 39 innings for Triple-A Worcester, which led to Arizona claiming him off waivers the following April.
That 2023 season was also the last time Jacques saw major league action, allowing three runs over three innings split between the Red Sox and Diamondbacks. This year, his struggles continued with a 6.02 ERA in Triple-A, making it difficult to envision a team eager to take a flyer on him.
Given their current surplus of left-handed relievers, the Red Sox are unlikely to be among those interested in bringing Jacques back.
He’s now free to sign a minor league deal elsewhere—but whether another opportunity arises remains uncertain.
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